International Cycling Union moves to build bridges with World Anti-Doping Agency

Two senior cycling officials who have extensive experience of dealing with
drugs scandals have been appointed by the sport's world governing body to
negotiate a truce with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Under pressure: UCI president Pat McQuaid survived the probing management committee meeting in Kentucky at the weekendPhoto: AP

In the wake of the animosity between International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid and his Wada counterpart John Fahey, the UCI management committee has appointed two board members, Artur Lopes and Daniel Baal, to liaise with Wada to form a joint truth and reconciliation commission.

The UCI disbanded its own independent commission just a week ago.

Baal is a high-profile chief executive of Crédit Mutuel and served as president of the French Cycling Federation during the tumultuous 1998 Festina doping scandal, while also acting as Tour de France director during Lance Armstrong’s domination. Lopes, meanwhile, was the long-serving president of the Portugal Cycling Federation.

The pair will have a difficult role to persuade Wada to become involved but both have existing relationships with the organisation.

Lopes, a surgeon, has been trying to clean up Portuguese cycling, which was inextricably linked to the Operation Puerto scandal in neighbouring Spain.

Wada is opposed to any unlimited truth and reconciliation as proposed by the UCI and wants a short-term partial amnesty, while insisting that funding for such an inquiry must come from the UCI.

The UCI, meanwhile, has sought monies from the International Olympic Committee to help pay for such a multi-million dollar inquiry with a decision expected next week from Lausanne.

McQuaid survived the probing management committee meeting in Kentucky over the weekend, but members of the committee were angered over the UCI lurching from one crisis to another and a perception that the international body was struggling to make firm decisions.

Meanwhile, Spanish rider Luis León Sánchezon Saturday was suspended pending an investigation into a possible link with the Spanish trial of blood doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, his team Blanco has announced.